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Sunday, 22 February 2015

KRA officers accused of extortion in Busia

A number of Kenya Revenue Authority officers who until recently were office messengers and clerical officers in various KRA stations before being promoted to join enforcement and moved to Busia have turned into extortionists and overnight millionaires, it is claimed.According to our investigations after complaints by residents and traders from Busia border town and its environs, the officers have taken over jobs that are not meant for them and even impersonating the immigration officers and the police, while imposing illegal fines to their victims as if they were the dispensers of justice in a court of law.The officers who include a driver are said to be misusing the authority’s Toyota LandCruiser going around Busia county and parts of Bondo and Butere where they pounce on traders, plant wild accusations and threatening them before settling for bribes in form fines. Their victims, range from kiosk operators, bar operators, transporters with vehicles bearing Ugandan registration numbers and shop operators, many of whom do not know their rights and just accept the accusations.The officers are said to be setting up road blocks deep into Kenyan territory for passenger buses from Uganda even after having been checked at the Busia border point. Here, they demand that all passengers produce their passports and declare all goods. The bus operators say the rogue officers have tortured their passengers by demanding bribes, delayed buses, caused fear among the customers many of whom wonder why there is the Immigration check point at Busia border in the first place.Meanwhile, a lady officer in charge of Busia KRA has disbanded the customs station at Sio Port in Funyula and deployed the officers who were based at the Lakeside station to the already overcrowded Busia border station.